The Voice for the St. Louis Construction Industry

EPA Announces West Lake Landfill Isolation Barrier Decision

EPA Region 7 has announced its decision to proceed with the installation of a physical isolation barrier for the West Lake Landfill Superfund Site in Bridgeton, Mo. The decision also calls for the installation of additional engineering controls, such as cooling loops, to prevent potential impacts that could result if a subsurface smoldering event were to come into contact with the radioactive materials contained in the West Lake Landfill.

“Finding a solution to mitigate the potential impacts of a subsurface smoldering event is a top priority for the community, and a top priority for EPA,” said EPA Region 7 Regional Administrator Mark Hague. “Today’s announcement is the first step in moving forward with the installation of a physical barrier and other
engineering controls to address this issue.”

“We are now working through the highly complex details of implementing our decision and the associated legal steps. Once the plan is finalized, we are committed to providing this information to the public,” Hague said. “EPA will use all available enforcement authorities to ensure implementation of this work.”

The agency will continue to work closely with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and other stakeholders as final plans are developed. Construction activities will be carried out under the direction and oversight of EPA, and with expert support from the Army Corps of Engineers.

EPA will release additional information, such as location of the barrier, once plans are finalized. The installation of a physical isolation barrier, and other engineering controls, will proceed as EPA continues to evaluate the remedy decision for the West Lake Landfill Site.